Automatic advertising device for street-cars.



J. W. PROVARD.

AUTOMATIC ADVERTISING DEVICE FOR STREET mus.

APPLIUA'LION l'I[I JD] 1AR.23,l014.

1,129,518. I Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

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MPLIUATIONII1.11D11IAR.23.191 L I 1,129,518. Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

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JAMES W. PROVAED, OF NOGALES, ARIZONA.

AUTOMATIC ADVERTISING DEVICE FOR STREET-CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

Application filed March 23, 1914. Serial No. 826,627.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, JAMES W. Pnovann, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nogales, in the county of Pima and State of Arizona, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Advertising Devices for Street-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic advertising devices for street cars. and has for its object the production of automatic means for displaying advertisements one after another or several together,

and color screens having special construction, arrangement,

and mode of operation resulting from the particular structure disclosed, whereby 1t is believed the attention of the passengers in the car will be attracted to the advertise ments, to the subsequent advantage of the advertiser. In street car advertising or the like, the stationary cards customarily arranged over the windows in the interior of the car, are now so commonly used, and for such a long time that the average person who has repeatedly seen such advertisements in his or her daily travel in the street cars is not attracted by them, however pretty or clever the cards may be. It is likewise the fact that an ordinary moving web or band carrying the cards or printed announcements fails of the effect intended for the like reason of commonplace experience.

It is an object of this invention not only to change the advertisements, but to change their color, and, as nearly as practicable, to cause each advertisement upon each of its successive appearances in the sight opening to seem to be differently colored. This object is attained by employing revolving colored screens of transparent material, that turn'at different speeds and in different directions, both the speeds and directions of the screens being variable by reason of the interchangeable parts set forth.

Of the accompanying drawings wherein like parts are designated by like letters, Figure 1 represents the side of a street car provided with this invention. A portion of the side of the car is cut away to permit the various devices to be seen. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view showing a cross-section of one of the screens and the method'of supporting the end of the screen in its revoluble holder. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the street car upon the line a:-ac of Fig. 1 showing the face of the band carrying the advertisements, and the relative positions and arrangement of the other parts. In Fig. 2 the scale of drawing has been somewhat increased to better the illustration.

Considering the drawings, a street car A has an axle a, about which passes a belt B in contact with a belt tightener b, and extending around the large pulley C on the transverse shaft 0. A small pulley D, also on the transverse shaft 0, is connected by the belt (I with a large pulley E on the second transverse shaft 6. A small pulley F, also on thesecond transverse shaft 6, is con-' nected by the belt 7' with the large pulley (l on a third transverse shaft g. The intention in using the large and small pulleys belted together as illustrated is to introduce means for retarding the speed and compelling the parts carrying the advertisements to move somewhat slowly, as compared with the velocity at which the axle a revolves.

On the transverse shaft 9 is a small pulley H, and a belt J connects the small pulley H with the small pulley j arranged at a higher point as shown. The pulley y serves to transmit rotary movement to the transparent flat screens K, L, M, N, O, and the screens are arranged to operate in a sight opening, usually framed, in the end wall of the .car and designated by the letter P. Each screen consists of a thin piece of colored glass, or, there may be more than one piece, such as the additional screen at revolving with the screen M. The screens are of different colors and differ in width. The screens make complete revolutions continuously. Each screen has a holder such as the holder k illustrated in Fig. 2 for the screen K, and the small pulley j is attached to the trunnion of the holder In. The screen holders are all precisely alike excepting as to the diameters of the circular portions thereof. Each screen has a holder at each of its ends.

and the trunnions of the holders are all of the same size. The description of one of the holders will, therefore, answer for them all. Considering Fig. 2, it will be noted that the screen K is ribs 1 and 2 of the circular portion 0 holder 70. It is preferred to cement the end of the screen to the ribs by means of rubber cement to prevent possible rattling as the car moves. The trunnion 3 of the holder '70 is journaled in a bearing 4 adjustable up and down on avertical rod 5, and may be held between the diametrical f the.

secured at any-point thereon by a setscrew 6. The other holders are likewise prov1dcd 'with the vertically adjustable bearings shown and all of the same size and coi'lstruetion as the bearing 4:. As the bearings of the screens are all movable, it is believed to be clear that the bearings of the screens L, M, N, and 0 may be raised slightly, thereby separating the screens from the driven screen IQ, and stopping their revolutions. That is to say, as the bearings of the revoluble screens are adjustable, the screens may be separated and certain of the screens may be kept stationary while others revolve. It will be noted that the circular portion of the holder k, as best shown in Fig. 1, as well as the circular portions of all the other holders, is provided with leather or rubber peripheral coverings such as the facing 7 on holder is. These circular portions of the holders are, in fact, friction wheels and are all arranged in contact, in order that the rotation of the holder is by the pulley j will be communicated to all the holders and screens. The reason for making the bearings of the holders adjustable is to render the screens interchangeable. So long as the circular portions of the holders are in contact, the screens may be arranged in any order. Furthermore, by-reason of the construction explained, the screens are turned at different speeds and in different directions, thus varying the color and effect of the screens through which the light must be transmitted to the eyes of the observer. It will be understood that the screens are thin and very transparentin order that the advertisements may be easily read through them. It is the peculiar action of the screens, sometimes coming together edgewise, sometimes inclined, and sometimes horizontal flatwise, that attracts the attention of the passengers to the advertise ments. Again considering Fig. l and Fig. 3, it Will be seen that there is a second pulley 71, on the transverse shaft 9, and it is the pulley 72, which transmits the movement of the shaft 9 to the band Q, by means of the belt g. The band Q, which is constructed to carry advertising matter, is supported at the top and bottom upon the rollers R and S, and the belt Q encircles the roller S as usually arranged. The band Q is further directed in a desired vertical plane by means of guide rollers r and s. The advertisements T are presented toward the interior of the car, and, in daylight, they are amply illuminated from the outside by Way of the car window 16 and the sight opening P. At night, the electric light globes U furnish artificial illumination, and the globes U are arranged between the screens and the band Q. It may be occasionally nccessa ry to rotate the various parts and move the band Q, when the car is at a standstill. To that end there is provided the removable handcrank V upon the transverse shaft 3, as shown in Fig. 3.

'lhcopcration of this invention is thought to be now clear from the drawings and the foregoing. moved either up or down past the sight opening P, and they beeomeapparently of various colors by reason of the screens, the screens'at the same time giving the effect of unique and unaccustomed movement and serving to attract the eyes.

Having now described this invention and explained the mode of its operation, what I claim is 1. In an advertising device, the combination with a movable member constructed to carry advertising matter, of means for actuating the said member, transparent colored screens arranged in front of the said member, each screen being revoluble, the axes of all the screens being parallel one to another, and means for continuously revo1ving the said screens upon their axes.

52. In an advertising device, the combination with a movable member constructed to carry advertising matter, of means for actuating the said member, transparent colored screens arranged in front of the said member, each screen being revoluble and provided with a friction wheel, the friction wheels of the said screens being arranged in contact with each other, and means for revolving one of the screens continuously on its axis thereby revolving the remaining screens.

3. In an advertising device, the combination with a movable member constructed to carry advertising matter, of means for actuating the said member, transparent colored screens arranged in front of the said member, each screen being revoluble, the axes of all the screens being parallel one to another, and means for continuously revolving the said screens upon their axes in different periods of time.

4:. In an advertising device, the combination with a movable member constructed to carry advertising matter, of means for actuating the said member, transparent colored screens arranged in front of the said memher. each screen being revoluble, the axes of all the screens being parallel one'toanother, and means for continuously revolving the said screens in different directions.

5. In an advertising device, the combina tion with a support, of a movable band borne by the support and constructed to carry advertisement-s, the said support hav ing a sight opening arranged to disclose a portion of the said band, means for actuating the said band, transparent colored screens arranged in front of the said band, each screen being revoluble, the axes of all the screens being parallel one to another,

The advertisements are slowly and means for continuously revolving the said screens upon their axes.

6. In an advertising device, the combination with a support, oi a movable band borne by the support and constructed to carry :ulvcrtisemcnts, the said support having a sight opening arranged to disclose a portion of the said hand, means for actuating the said band, transparent colored screens arranged in front of the said band, each screen being revohible, the axes of all the screens being parallel one with another, means for continuously revolving one of the said screens upon its axis, and means constructed to transmit the movement ol' the said revolving screen to the remaining screens to contii'iuously revolve them.

7. In an advertising device. the combination with a movable n'iember eoi'istructed to carry advertising matter, of means for actuating the said member, transparent colored screens arranged in front of the said member, each screen being revo'luble and provided with a friction wheel, the friction wheels of the said screens being arranged in contact with each other, the said screens having adjustable bearings whereby the screens and friction wheels may be sepa- JAMES W. PROVARD.

\Vitnesses II. E. S'rnvnn's, II. McKneL. 

